Grand-Popo Travel Guide

 janiebaxter Says:  We visited one of the small villages along the riverbank as part of our boat trip on the Mono River, as we couldn't get into the Mangroves to explore because the water level was too low for our boat. This village was called Avlo, with a population of 600, and as our boat... 

 janiebaxter Says:  The villages along the Mono River earn their living from fishing and some also make salt. Avlo village which we visited is one of these.To make the salt they take sand from the mangroves which they mix with water and filter in a big traditional basket made from mangrove... 

 janiebaxter Says:  The beach in Grand Popo stretches all the way to Lome in Togo in one direction and to Cotonou in the other direction. At Grand Popo it is really lovely - wide with dark golden sand and plenty of space. I visited at Easter time and even then you wouldn't call it crowded. You... 

 janiebaxter Says:  The Mono River is 500km long and flows from Togo into the sea at Grand Popo. Our boat trip took about 2 hours in a motor boat which had a cover to shade us from the sun, and travelled at a leisurely pace so there was plenty of opportunity to take photographs.We passed a... 

 janiebaxter Says:  When I first saw this stadium right on the beach I thought it must be what most stadiums are for nowadays - football, or at least some kind of sport. But why on a sandy beach? This being Benin, it is for the annual Voodoo festival that takes place in Grand Popo in January.... 

 janiebaxter Says:  Grand Popo is a great place for birdwatching. I just wish I had taken binoculars.Around the beach area and the gardens of the Auberge Grand Popo there are many types of birds, which make quite a noise early mornings and late afternoons. They are a bit difficult to see as the... 

 janiebaxter Says:  The traditional religion of Voodoo is very popular in Grand Popo, particularly in the Old Town and in the villages along the Mono River. If you take a boat trip along the river you will pass many temples along the riverbank where the small villages are. If you walk down to... 

 janiebaxter Says:  Opposite the Auberge Grand Popo there is a small war memorial with the inscription - Aux Enfants1914 - 19181939 - 1945It stands in a small patch of grassland and is very simple, and has a cannon in front of it. 

 janiebaxter Says:  Grand Popo is very close to the border with Togo and the capital Lome is not far from the border. It takes about 15 minutes by car to get to the border from Grand Popo. You can even walk straight down the beach in an hour, but you still need your passport.At the border I got... 

 janiebaxter Says:  The Auberge Grand Popo is situated on the beach at the quiet end of town - not that there is exactly a noisy end! It is close to the Mono River and the Old Town and the road here gets little traffic so it is very quiet.The 2 main buildings date from French colonial times and...